Section 21

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 previously gave landlords in England a "no-fault" route to possession - the ability to serve notice on tenants and regain possession of their property without giving a specific reason, provided the correct procedural requirements were met and the notice period had passed.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21 for new tenancies in England, and all tenancies after a transition period. Landlords can no longer end a tenancy without a valid ground for possession.

Grounds for possession that remain available to landlords include Section 8 grounds: rent arrears (ground 8: 2+ months, mandatory; ground 10: any arrears, discretionary), antisocial behaviour (ground 14), property required for the landlord's own occupation (ground 1), intention to sell (ground 1A), and various others.

The abolition of Section 21 represents a significant change to the landlord-tenant balance. Investors who previously relied on Section 21 as a backstop must now ensure they use the Section 8 process correctly and are familiar with mandatory and discretionary possession grounds.